Historical Political Events forDecember 23

An exceptionally brutal 3 year war waged by the U.S. Army against Filipino revolutionists ended this date with the signing of an armistice by the rebels. This left the US in possession of the archipelago of 7,100 islands. General Arthur MacArthur (father of Douglas) conducted this war that had Filipino casualties with estimates that vary between 50,000 to over 2,000,000. Many prominent U.S. citizens were outraged at the brutality exhibited by the U.S. Army.

Dr. Oppenheimer loses security clearance due to contact with Communists in the '30s (and opposition to H-bomb.)

1972

A devastating earthquake hit Managua, killing over 10,000 and leaving approximately 200,000 homeless. Recognizing the lucrative potential of disasters, politicians pocketed millions in emergency aid, setting a record that was not broken until Hurricane Katrina came ashore in the US.

1975

Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (15 U.S.C. 205) -- Public Law 94-168, as amended on August 23, 1988 (P.L. 100-418), requires each Federal agency to use the metric system of measurement, where applicable, by the end of Fiscal Year 1992. [Those were heady days! Virtually a dead issue now.]

The metric system has emerged as the choice of all the nations in the world with the exception of three countries: Myanmar (formerly Burma), Liberia, and the United States. [Sort of a "Coalition of the Willing for Metrification"!]
— "Metric Transition Program", F&WS, U.S. Government